Disagreements with Co-workers-Honesty is still the best policy
I will never understand why co-workers always go on the defensive when they are asked about a task they promised to follow through on. Your first loyalty must be to your company and by asking for the information that was promised by another co-worker you are only helping your company acheive its goals.
If you are asked about information that you promised to another co-worker, don't go on the defensive. Stop attacking that co-worker. There has to be a reason why they are asking, and it will more than likely be as simple as they have not received the information yet. If you did not personally deliver that information to them, you can not assume that they have received it. Not everyone is out to get you. If you know the information was sent to them, then just say to them that you did send it and will look into where it went to.
A lot of times when items are passed to other co-workers to be completed, the work may not get done as quickly as you assume it will. Everyone is busy and everyone always encounters interruptions in their work day. You can not assume when you tell a co-worker that this information needs to go out right now, that that is what is going to happen. Chances are it will not. And don't assume when you ask when the information was sent that that co-worker will tell you exactly when it was sent. With everything that we do all day long, do you really remember the exact time and day you sent something. Be honest now—you usually don't. And even if you come close, if there is a channel that that information goes through first, like a mailroom, then you can never really honestly say when that mail went out.
None of us like to admit at any given point and time that we did not do what we said we were going to do, or that somehow things did not happen the way we thought it would, even if it was out of our control. Is that lying? No, it is human nature to want to make ourselves look good in the eyes of our co-workers. We also don't like admitting to ourselves that we can not do everything and know everything.
If you have a disagreement with a co-worker and you tell them that you are going to get to the bottom of whatever issue the two of you are disagreeing on—make sure that when you are asking questions to other co-workers about what was said or what action was done, that you ask this particular person if they are willing to put their statement in writting. If that person hesitates and says they don't want to get involved, then the statement should not be taken as the truth. Idealy you and the co-worker you are disagreeing with, and possibly a third person, should go together to talk with other co-workers because it increases the chance of an honest exchange. It is harder to lie in front of the person, and it gives you the opportunity to question their statement right at that moment. A lot of co-workers will say they don't want to get in the middle of your disagreement but when that same person makes a comment that is untrue then they have involved themselves for not telling the truth.
This now takes us back to you and the co-worker you are disagreeing with—if one of you states that this person's statement is not true you must believe them. As I said earlier, they are only trying to help the company achieve their goals. When a disagreement turns into a "He said...She said" match, it needs to be stopped. The solution, just get the information for that person, who cares where it went. If it did not reach its destination then make sure it does this second time around. Please remember that your co-workers are just as busy as you are and if you don't have that extra time in the day to hand deliver information then the chances are your co-worker also doesn't have the extra time to come and pick it up. Just by sending a quick instant message or email telling them that you have sent the information and to let you know when they receive it will help tremendously. You'll likely find that this takes less energy, is more rewarding, easier—and will give you the reputation you desire as someone who knows how to solve problems.
If you are asked about information that you promised to another co-worker, don't go on the defensive. Stop attacking that co-worker. There has to be a reason why they are asking, and it will more than likely be as simple as they have not received the information yet. If you did not personally deliver that information to them, you can not assume that they have received it. Not everyone is out to get you. If you know the information was sent to them, then just say to them that you did send it and will look into where it went to.
A lot of times when items are passed to other co-workers to be completed, the work may not get done as quickly as you assume it will. Everyone is busy and everyone always encounters interruptions in their work day. You can not assume when you tell a co-worker that this information needs to go out right now, that that is what is going to happen. Chances are it will not. And don't assume when you ask when the information was sent that that co-worker will tell you exactly when it was sent. With everything that we do all day long, do you really remember the exact time and day you sent something. Be honest now—you usually don't. And even if you come close, if there is a channel that that information goes through first, like a mailroom, then you can never really honestly say when that mail went out.
None of us like to admit at any given point and time that we did not do what we said we were going to do, or that somehow things did not happen the way we thought it would, even if it was out of our control. Is that lying? No, it is human nature to want to make ourselves look good in the eyes of our co-workers. We also don't like admitting to ourselves that we can not do everything and know everything.
If you have a disagreement with a co-worker and you tell them that you are going to get to the bottom of whatever issue the two of you are disagreeing on—make sure that when you are asking questions to other co-workers about what was said or what action was done, that you ask this particular person if they are willing to put their statement in writting. If that person hesitates and says they don't want to get involved, then the statement should not be taken as the truth. Idealy you and the co-worker you are disagreeing with, and possibly a third person, should go together to talk with other co-workers because it increases the chance of an honest exchange. It is harder to lie in front of the person, and it gives you the opportunity to question their statement right at that moment. A lot of co-workers will say they don't want to get in the middle of your disagreement but when that same person makes a comment that is untrue then they have involved themselves for not telling the truth.
This now takes us back to you and the co-worker you are disagreeing with—if one of you states that this person's statement is not true you must believe them. As I said earlier, they are only trying to help the company achieve their goals. When a disagreement turns into a "He said...She said" match, it needs to be stopped. The solution, just get the information for that person, who cares where it went. If it did not reach its destination then make sure it does this second time around. Please remember that your co-workers are just as busy as you are and if you don't have that extra time in the day to hand deliver information then the chances are your co-worker also doesn't have the extra time to come and pick it up. Just by sending a quick instant message or email telling them that you have sent the information and to let you know when they receive it will help tremendously. You'll likely find that this takes less energy, is more rewarding, easier—and will give you the reputation you desire as someone who knows how to solve problems.
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